Spurs-Jazz Game 2: Key player, frozen moment, key stretch

The Spurs rookie is not yet old enough to legally buy a bottle of Lone Star, but he was well prepared for the second playoff start of his career.

After scoring only six points in 20 minutes and 11 seconds of Game 1, Leonard caught fire from long range in Game 2. He continued his outstanding work on defense, as well, getting two more steals.

“I guess it’s fair to say Kawhi surprised us because you don’t really know when you draft someone,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He plays his role and a lot of rookies can’t do that and he’s been really good at it.”

FROZEN MOMENT
TONY PARKER’S “GOTCHA” TEARDROP

The Jazz tried everything to slow down Spurs point guard Tony Parker in Game 2. They blitzed pick-and-rolls. They went under pick and rolls. They switched pick and rolls. They tried different defenders.

They even tried power forward Paul Millsap on him for one possession late in the second quarter, the 6-foot-8, 253-pound Millsap doing his best to intimidate the four-time All-Star near the 3-point line.

Parker ran Millsap to the right, crossed him over and went back to his left, then ran a give-and-go with Boris Diaw that allowed him to blow past Millsap for a tear drop basket that seemed to have a message for Millsap and his teammates: Anything else you’d like to try?

KEY STRETCH
7:04 TO :33.8, 2ND QUARTER

A Gary Neal 3-pointer on the Spurs’ first possession of the second quarter gave them a 31-17 lead, but Utah answered with a 9-0 run of its own to get back in the game, at 31-26, with 7:04 left in the first half.

What happened over the next six-and-a-half minutes turned the game into a rout and, for at least one game, took the competitiveness out of one of the NBA’s hardest teams: A 20-0 run that included four 3-point baskets, three by Danny Green and one by Kawhi Leonard.

Parker said an emphatic reminder to rebound during a timeout that followed Utah’s 9-0 run sparked the run.

“After the time out, Pop screaming at everybody, and everybody got on the boards and played better defense and it got us going.”